Tsimanampetsotsa National Park

Managed By Madagascar National Parks And A Ramsar Wetland. A Salt Lake With Flamingos Beside A Limestone Plateau Of Spiny Forest, Caves With Blind Fish And Ancient Mahafaly Tombs; Remote, Hot And Dry, And One Of The Island'S Least Visited Protected Areas · Efoetse, Atsimo-Andrefana

Tsimanampetsotsa is a remote national park in the far south-west of Madagascar, run by Madagascar National Parks and listed as a Ramsar wetland. Its centre is a large, shallow salt lake, fed by underground water, set at the foot of the Mahafaly limestone plateau. Flamingos feed on the lake when the water suits them, but numbers change from year to year and season to season, so you may see thousands or only a few. The plateau behind the lake is dry spiny forest with baobabs, euphorbias and the endangered radiated tortoise. The park also protects caves, among them the Mitoho cave, where blind fish live in a flooded chamber, and old Mahafaly tombs and sites where local fady (taboos) apply. The climate is hot, dry and almost desert-like. The only practical way in is by 4x4 from Toliara along a long sandy track. There is no mobile network, a basic camp and few services, so this is a trip for committed visitors, not a casual stop.

South-west Madagascar, about 100 km south of Toliara on a long sandy track via Efoetse, at the foot of the Mahafaly plateau, Efoetse, Atsimo-Andrefana, Madagascar

Open in daylight, roughly early morning to late afternoon, with guided walks usually early to avoid the heat. Entry is not free: a Madagascar National Parks permit and a local guide are normally paid for at the park office. The park is effectively closed to normal travel in the wet season, roughly December to March, when rains can make the sand and clay tracks impassable. Confirm access, fees and hours with Madagascar National Parks in Toliara before you set off.

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